His
by sockospice
Summary: My take on AJ/Punk/Bryan and those kisses on Smackdown 3rd July. AJ needs to know for sure, and there is only one way to find out.


Title: His (1/1)

Rating: K for kissing, some obtuse mentions of darker themes.

Characters: Punk, Bryan, AJ

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue

Summary: My take on the Bryan/AJ/Punk kiss on Smackdown 3rd July 2012.

"I care about AJ."

When she heard those words she stopped. She'd waited months to hear him say that, begged and pleaded with him to give her some kind of sign that he viewed her with anything other than derision. All she'd wanted was some hope, instead of the crumbs he'd leave her, flashes of affection when he wanted her to do something.

And he'd always wanted her to do... something. Interfering in a match was one thing, hours in the gym because he told her he wanted her to try harder were ok... but there were some things she'd hated, that she didn't even want to think about.

So when he said he cared, that stirred something inside of her, something she thought she'd suppressed, and AJ could feel herself wanting to believe it was true, needing to believe it was true. Her head told her that he was pandering, that he was trying to get on her good side so she'd take his side when she was special guest referee. Her heart, though, was damaged and broken and wished for him to want her as much as she had wanted him. Her heart wanted to be loved.

Someone else had said to her that he liked her. That she was a sweet girl. He'd also said she had problems, she needed help. Well, no one knew that more than AJ herself, but it was still hard to hear and she felt like she would cry when those words left her lips. He was right though – she'd reacted badly the day before, her jealousy over his conversation with his sister had manifested itself in the worst way. She'd stolen a kiss though, before the push, and it was the most wonderful feeling she'd ever experienced. For those few seconds, she'd felt like the best thing in his world, no pun intended. Anger had taken over though, along with that self-doubt Daniel had done such a good job of instilling, and she'd pushed him away, pushed him through a table. The hurt in his eyes had torn her in two, but she'd had to do it. She needed to know that even if she made him angry, he wouldn't do what Daniel had done. She needed to know she'd be safe.

Daniel. He had a smirk on his lips as he told her what she wanted to hear. The smirk grew as her eyes widened, hope and shock mixing within them. She didn't trust him, but she needed to know for sure. She couldn't live without knowing for sure whether he meant it or not.

He was surprised by the kiss; she could feel him instantly recoil but then that smirk returned, his arms snaked round her waist and she knew the only words running through his head right now were "I've won". She ran her hands over his hair, wanting to feel something from him other than smugness and superiority. There was nothing. She felt nothing. Her heart didn't leap as she touched him, there was no flutter in her chest at his touch. The kiss ended as quickly as it began.

As she turned around, AJ saw the slump of Punk's shoulders, the disappointment in his demeanour as he trudged out of the ring. As horrible as that made her feel, it also gave her hope, but she needed to make things right. She needed to show what words couldn't describe. She grabbed his hand to make him turn round – she'd never have dared do that with Daniel, for fear of what his other hand would do, but Punk? He just turned and looked at her, an unspoken 'why' on his lips. He was offering her a chance to explain. A chance.

She took it. She pulled him close, the kiss gentle at first. Just like Daniel, she could feel his shock, but she also felt his want, his need. The kiss deepened, but she felt like he was still holding back, he was still reticent about something. And then she felt his arms, his hands on her back, pulling her into him, and for a moment she felt like she was anywhere but in front of a crowd of fans. She felt like she was his.

She pulled away more reluctantly this time, her hands loathe to leave his face, her heart racing as he intimated he wanted more. He stared at her as she straightened up, again an unspoken ''why' on his lips. She smiled, knowing now the truth in the midst of so many lies. This, it would continue. But not here. Not now. She skipped away, knowing that he turned to watch her, knowing that his fingers touched his lips, savouring her touch. She knew he would seek her out afterwards, and what had been started would continue.

She knew she was his.


End file.
